Fast-growing Sourcebooks is launching a new education division that will incorporate and extend existing publications and programs for college students and the college-bound with a number of new initiatives. Initial staffing for the division will include six new positions in sales, marketing and information systems, continuing to draw on existing staff in editorial and publicity. The first new hires are: Technical architect Deb Kimminau, responsible for leading the design and development of new digital initiatives, which include MyMaxScore; programmer analyst Kavita Khanna, responsible for updating and implementing new technical requirements for the MyMaxScore adaptive learning software; and education sales manager […]
Small/Indie Publishers
Briefs: Kodansha and Dai Nippon Buy Vertical; Syracuse University Press Pulls Fictionalized Memoir; and More
Kodansha and Dai Nippon Printing announced they are buying nearly equal stakes in smaller Japanese publisher Vertical, for an undisclosed sum. Kodansha will own 46.7% of the company, and Dai Nippon will hold a 46% stake. In addition, current COO Yoshinobu Noma will succeed Sawako Noma as Kodansha CEO in April.Anime News Network Syracuse University Press will no longer print copies of Montclair State University professor Fawzia Afzal-Khan’s fictionalized memoir Lahore With Love: Growing Up With Girlfriends Pakistani Style, published last year, after receiving legal threats from a woman in Pakistan who says that a character is based on her […]
People, Awards, Etc.
At Abrams, Susan Van Metre has been promoted to svp and publisher and will now oversee all comic arts books in addition to Abrams Children’s and Amulet Books. Charles Kochman is promoted to editorial director for Abrams ComicArts, adding oversight of children’s comics and graphic novels, reporting to Van Metre. Chad Beckerman moves up to creative director and oversee design for all comic arts books, Abrams Children’s and Amulet. Lindley Boegehold is promoted to editorial director for calendars, licenses and custom publishing. Jennifer Levesque is promoted to editorial director for Stewart, Tabori & Chang and Abrams Image (though Abrams Image […]
Craft and Sentiment In Bookselling and Publishing: McNally Jackson Books, and Canada’s Gaspereau Press
Poets & Writers has a long featured interview with New York City bookseller Sarah McNally. The store is successful even without any ecommerce, but McNally talks candidly about her process of rethinking potential changes while remaining focused on her mission. “We opened without knowing what the hell we were doing, but somewhere along the line we’ve become a good bookstore. And I feel confident that we’re a good bookstore. But who cares in 2010? Does anyone care whether you’re a good bookstore? Is that enough? I don’t know.” McNally says her vision has been to provide “a community center for […]
Two Off the Beaten Path Stories: Myhrvold Delays, Ali Experiments
Former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold’s lavish self-published six-volume cookbook MODERNIST CUISINE, listing for $625, has been eagerly anticipated by some foodies. In a blog posting earlier this week, Myhrvold explained to customers and fans that publication has been delayed and they will miss this Christmas, now looking for a publication date of March 14. It turns out book publishing is more complicated than it looks. The fundamental work of “proofreading and correction 2,400 pages…has been taking longer than we expected to complete.” They have also had to work out the kinks in shipping 40 pounds worth of book without damage: […]
Understanding the Digital Divide for Smaller Publishers
The rise of digital publishing and the coming of the agency sales model raise all kinds of urgent issues for publishers of all sizes. What applies to the biggest publishers may not be the same for smaller companies. Earlier this month Perseus surveyed its approximately 300 distribution clients (over 100 of whom use their digital distribution service Constellation) to learn more about their digital views. The approximately 70 responses provide an interesting glimpse of the “digital divide” between large and small publishers. One big, unanswered strategic question for the company is how to deal with the agency sales model. Will […]